Excellent Unknown Album Beautiful Mary Hopkins Pop Vocals
HershonJones | Michigan | 10/25/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is an excellent album that not many people know about. Excellent pop rock vocals by Mary Hopkins. I particularly like Smile & Dream Lover. Totally recommended."
Failed but good attempt at comeback
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 06/05/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Mike Hurst was one of three members of the early sixties British folk trio, the Springfields. The other two members were Tom and Dusty Springfield. In the early eighties, Mike decided that he wanted to create a new version of that group. For the new trio, he teamed up with Michael de Alberquerque, ex-ELO bass player, and Mary Hopkin. Although Mary was not actually planning a comeback when Mike was looking for a female singer to join Sundance, she lived in the same area as Mike and readily agreed to the idea.
The public did not buy their music (although What's love became an unexpected hit in South Africa), despite Sundance being the opening act for one of Dr Hook's UK tours. Mary also developed unexpected health problems and was forced to quit. After Mary 's, tey got on a tour supporting Bucks Fizz, with Catherine Howe (who some Brits may remember for her song Harry - very popular on BBC radio 2 but not a hit) as Mary's replacement. Catherine quit after that tour (without, sadly, recording anything with Sundance) and another (forgotten) female singer joined to record the trio's last single, a cover of Walk right in. Originally from the 1920's, it became a sixties hit for the Rooftop singers, since when Dr Hook have also covered it.
The songs on this CD represent the entire recorded output of Sundance. The songs include covers of Smile on your face (Andrew Gold), Take your time (Buddy Holly), So sad (Everly brothers) and a medley of Never going back (John Stewart) and Silver threads and golden needles (originally a Wanda Jackson song, but the Springfields had an American pop and country hit with it).
The last four tracks were recorded live. The sound quality is not perfect, but the CD would have been very short without them. They include covers of Cotton fields (a Leadbelly song that was a huge UK hit for the Beach boys and had also been covered by the Springfields), Dream lover (Bobby Darin), Those were the days (Mary Hopkin) and Island of dreams (Springfields).
Although recorded in the early eighties, this album is something of a curiosity for fans of sixties folk pop music, especially if you already have the sixties recordings by the Springfields (I recommend the double-CD Over the hills and far away) and Mary Hopkin (I recommend the compilation Those were the days). If you love their sixties music, you may think this is worth investigating."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1